Bladder Cancer Immunotherapy: Building on a history of immune response

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States and ninth most common worldwide. While the FDA approved the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) cancer vaccine in 1990 for the treatment of superficial, non-invasive bladder cancer, oncologists today are excited about a new class of immunotherapies called immune checkpoint inhibitors. New immunotherapies have significantly reduced the risk of recurrence for bladder cancer while also increasing the percentage of patients who see a complete response post-surgery. Dr. Matthew Galsky, of The Tisch Cancer Institute, discusses the potential to further improve outcomes for patients with this disease and answers questions from the audience. We will discuss how oncologists predict patient response to immunotherapies, common mutations in bladder cancer, length of treatment, and other topics. Don’t forget to submit your questions to Dr. Galsky.